The Arts of Tragedy and Nudity
Arts | November 12, 2008 | Share
Frame by frame, scene by scene; the drama unfolded. As he stood there, at the entrance of the hall, listening to his own obituary, his eyes gave a haunting look. What followed was one of the classic tragic songs of Hindi cinema, full of pain and angst. I am talking about the scene from Guru Dutt’s classic Pyaasa, where the protagonist discovers in the end that the ungrateful world has declared him, a living entity, a dead man. This movie and several other tragic masterpieces underline a simple fact: Tragedy is perhaps the most captivating of all the emotions art can invoke in our hearts and minds.
Tragedy, coupled with nudity, is perhaps the most intriguing of art forms. Tragedy captures the angst and the anger against the circumstances and the world at large. It depicts the rise and fall of a tragic hero through the struggles that prove that everyone, in the end, is indeed human. In this way, tragedy is more real than purely romantic stories and heroic versions. How can one forget one of the greatest of all tragic heroes, Oedipus or Dr Faustus? Dr Faustus was indeed a path breaking play depicting a man who sells his soul to the devil in return for power and knowledge.
Tragedy, right from Greek to Shakespearean and finally to modern, has invoked strong passions. Love, hate, romance and intimacy: all find their places in tragedy. Othello, Romeo and Juliet etc. plays depict love through the eyes of tragedy. Passionate emotions such as love, sex, hate and physical intimacy have always been ‘in vogue’ as far as tragic plays go. However, angst of the common man has become a major theme of modernist tragedy. This has been highlighted rather skillfully by Arthur Miller in his famous essay “Tragedy and the Common Man”.
Moving from tragedy, the other strong motivation for art has always been nudity. No-one can possibly forget the famous painting “Vitruvian Man” by Da Vinci. It depicts a naked man as a symbol of proportion showing nine geometrical measurements. Picasso and other famous artists also have used naked body as a subtle expression of art. Picasso’s “the Embrace” and “la Vie” are some of the most famous naked art works.
The human body, in its purest form has always inspired artists. In ancient Greece, athletes used to compete naked during Olympics. They celebrated their free existence. Naked human body has never been an object of lust or plain desire in the realm of art. It has always been viewed in aesthetic sense. It has a sensuous feeling attached to it which gives rise to a passion to celebrate freedom through love: for life or art or anything else. Examples include our very own Ajanta and Ellora caves. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, we lost that sense and equated nudity to lust and something bad.
If there is one tragic fact about nudity today, it is our mindset. During Renaissance in Europe, nudity was a celebrated art. It depicted the freedom from archaic beliefs of the church. It was the time of great visionaries like Galileo, Da Vinci, Copernicus, Newton etc. Maybe we need that movement all over again.
Art has always been an essential part of our lives. The freedom of expression that an art form can provide is hard to match. And tragedy and human body always sit at the top of art masterpieces. Probably that is why when Ursula Andress walked out from the Caribbean Sea in a white bikini in the first bond movie ‘Dr No’, she created history.
Mayank Sharma
(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
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“Great” insight on nudity. I could agree with your viewpoint on tragedy, but how exactly is nudity motivation?
The ancient Greeks didn’t compete nude, to celebrate their existence. To them it was a purely cruel religious affair. Not many modern historians view the Greek Olympics as something monumental, as it was more of blood, gore and slave fighting designed to fulfill the basest needs.
And lets not sponsor nudity just because it was appreciated in the Renaissance period. For, the Renaissance period is also replete with witch hunts, prostitution etc.
The naked body is not something to be ashamed of, but it certainly is not something we should parade around by a weak excuse of art. The last thing we need today is a movement where nudity is bought in the open by calling for a change in the mindset. Somethings are best, when done behind closed doors.
In what century are you residing? Do you know that such “closed-door” mindset has done so much harm to our society? Go visit Khajuraho and drape the sculptures in cloth if u want. Nudity is an art expression which was perfected by India…as i said..khajuraho is an example. Renaissance just furthered it. And nudity has got nothin to do with renaissance..it has got to do with art. No-one is tellin u or anyone to parade arnd naked or paint anythng what u deem fit ..all that is being said is the fact that nudity has always been one of the chief and basic art forms.
In what century am I residing?. Well lets see.
I live in a century where four year olds are raped and killed. I live in a century where promiscuity is about to be worshiped. I live in a century where AIDS is spreading like wild fire. I live in a century where the motto is ‘ the lower the cleavage, the higher the sales’.
sorry, but thats the century I live in. With all due respect, maybe we don’t live in the same century.
And about renaissance. It was you who said , lemme quote “During Renaissance in Europe, nudity was a celebrated art”
and now you say, lemme quote “nudity has got nothin to do with renaissance.” please do get your thoughts together. you are contradicting yourself.
and your quote “Nudity is an art expression which was perfected by India” is pure nonsense. and khajuraho is not an example for anything. If you can, do substantiate your argument with something stronger than ‘khajuraho’.
and your view as to nudity being a basic art form, let me ask you with all respect, what are you talking about. which artist has the opinion that nudity is a basic art from. I am dying to hear.
Nudity in art, is not an ‘art form’. It is only a subject as far as art is related.
And do inform me of the harm my “closed-door’ mindset has had on the moral foundations of family.
Thank you for your response.
ok . the details of the century that u have given…r the result of suppressed nature of our society regardin sex. No sex education no nothin..no wonder such crimes r on the rise. A free society is mature n liberal ; not like ours where the rape victim is often prejudiced against.
And plz understand..nudity was indeed celebrated in renaissance but it has got nothin to do with it in the sense that it has been always there as an art form..it wsnt perfected or somethng in that period..may b i should have been more elaborative there.
And yes..its an art form for me. You may believe its not but it really is. How? Art never thrives on subjects my dear… for an artist, you , me , trees etc r subjects or objects as i may put it. Whatever can give a meaning to a subject..is a form. Picasso used nudity to depict the appalling levels of health care and witch-hunt… Da vinci used nudity to describe free spirit… Go see their paintings n read what they have said.
And yes …closed door mindset ? You have actually answered your own ques my friend:
” In what century am I residing?. Well lets see.
I live in a century where four year olds are raped and killed. I live in a century where promiscuity is about to be worshiped. I live in a century where AIDS is spreading like wild fire. I live in a century where the motto is ‘ the lower the cleavage, the higher the sales’.
sorry, but thats the century I live in
”
you can refer to this article if u want :
Sex and the citi-zens
http://theviewspaper.net/opinion/2008/10/4493
Dear Friend,
Dearest Friend, Wow, you really are firm on your opinions. cool.
lets go ‘backwards’ to your reply. I introduced the concept of closed doors for certain aspects and areas of life and family. You coined the term ‘ closed-door mindset’. but somehow we are lost in translation.
certain aspects of human and family life is best done behind closed doors. I firmly believe in this. And so would anyone, who believes and has had family as a formidable force in his charachter creation. But what you mean by your term ‘closed-door mindset’ is quite different.
my second question was more than clear. do read it again, if you must. the equation you have resorted to at the end of your reply is simply quite unscientific.
I am firm coz i knw what m sayin…. friend
you are just equatin nude art to a perverse thing. Its not. Whats perverse… isnt art
. I appreciate your family’s contribution in your character formation .. but how nude art can affect family values ? Pls make me understand and i will reply. M confused by your reply actually.
n answer to ths in one word : do u oppose sex education in schools ?